Patti Neighmondhttp://wesa.fm
enSure, Use A Treadmill Desk — But You Still Need To Exercisehttp://wesa.fm/post/sure-use-treadmill-desk-you-still-need-exercise
First off, I need to be upfront: I have a treadmill desk. I got it about two years ago, prompted by all the studies showing the dangers of sitting all day. The idea is to get people more active and walking while working. The problem is, I don't use it. In fact, I probably only used it for a few months. I still stand all day, but I'm not walking.<p>It turns out I'm not alone. Treadmill desks may have seen their day, according to <a href="http://www.timchurchmd.com/">Dr. Tim Church</a> of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.Mon, 30 Mar 2015 07:40:00 +0000Patti Neighmond45623 at http://wesa.fmSure, Use A Treadmill Desk — But You Still Need To ExerciseWorkplace Suicide Rates Rise Sharply http://wesa.fm/post/workplace-suicide-rates-rise-sharply
Suicide rates in the U.S. have gone up considerably in recent years, claiming an average of 36,000 lives annually.<p>Most people take their lives in or near home. But suicide on the job is also increasing and, according to federal researchers, suicide risk changes depending on the type of work people do.<p>Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health analyzed census data and compared suicide rates among different occupations.<p>They found that, between 2003 and 2010, a total of 1,719 people died by suicide in the workplace.Tue, 17 Mar 2015 19:51:00 +0000Patti Neighmond45022 at http://wesa.fmImproving Housing Can Pay Dividends In Better Healthhttp://wesa.fm/post/improving-housing-can-pay-dividends-better-health
Faiza Ayesh giggles with delight as she describes her brand-new two-bedroom apartment in Oakland, Calif. She shares her home with her husband and three little girls, ages 3, 2 and 5 months. Ayesh, 30, says she just loves being a stay-at-home mom. "It's the best job in the world."<p>But Ayesh wasn't always this happy. A little over a year ago she was living in a cramped one-bedroom apartment with her family.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:37:00 +0000Patti Neighmond44297 at http://wesa.fmImproving Housing Can Pay Dividends In Better HealthPeople With Low Incomes Say They Pay A Price In Poor Healthhttp://wesa.fm/post/people-low-incomes-say-they-pay-price-poor-health
When you ask people what impacts health you'll get a lot of different answers: Access to good health care and preventative services, personal behavior, exposure to germs or pollution and stress. But if you dig a little deeper you'll find a clear dividing line, and it boils down to one word: money.<p>People whose household income is more than $75,000 a year have very different perceptions of what affects health than those whose household income is less than $25,000.Mon, 02 Mar 2015 09:06:00 +0000Patti Neighmond44233 at http://wesa.fmPeople With Low Incomes Say They Pay A Price In Poor HealthTo Get Parents To Vaccinate Their Kids, Don't Ask. Just Tellhttp://wesa.fm/post/get-parents-vaccinate-their-kids-dont-ask-just-tell
As California's measles outbreak continues to spread beyond state borders, many doctors nationwide are grappling with how best to convince parents to have their children vaccinated. Inviting a collaborative conversation doesn't work all that well, many are finding.Sat, 07 Feb 2015 10:34:00 +0000Patti Neighmond43070 at http://wesa.fmTo Get Parents To Vaccinate Their Kids, Don't Ask. Just TellPediatricians Pressured To Drop Parents Who Won't Vaccinatehttp://wesa.fm/post/pediatricians-pressured-drop-parents-who-wont-vaccinate
Dr. Bob Sears, a pediatrician in Capistrano Beach, Calif., says that he strongly believes in the protective power of vaccines to save lives.Wed, 04 Feb 2015 22:41:00 +0000Patti Neighmond42931 at http://wesa.fmPediatricians Pressured To Drop Parents Who Won't VaccinateMeasles Outbreak At Disneyland Spreads To Other Stateshttp://wesa.fm/post/measles-outbreak-disneyland-spreads-other-states
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Measles+Outbreak+At+Disneyland+Spreads+To+Other+States&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAwMTM1NDgzMDEyMzg2MDcwMzJjODJiYQ004)"/></div><p>Thu, 22 Jan 2015 09:59:00 +0000Patti Neighmond42230 at http://wesa.fm When Bariatric Surgery's Benefits Wane, This Procedure Can Helphttp://wesa.fm/post/when-bariatric-surgerys-benefits-wane-procedure-can-help
For most of her life Fran Friedman struggled with compulsive eating. At 59 years old she was 5 foot 2 and weighed 360 pounds. That's when she opted for bariatric surgery.<p>The <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bariatric-surgery/basics/definition/prc-20019138">surgery</a> worked. Friedman, who is now 70 and lives in Los Angeles, lost 175 pounds. "It was a miracle," Friedman says, not to feel hungry. "It was the first time in my life that I've ever lost a lot of weight and was able to maintain it."<p>Friedman kept the weight off for almost 10 years.Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:33:00 +0000Patti Neighmond42061 at http://wesa.fmWorking Longer Hours Can Mean Drinking Morehttp://wesa.fm/post/working-longer-hours-can-mean-drinking-more
People who try to reduce the stress of a long work day with a drink or two, or three, may be causing more health problems for themselves.<p>Around the world, people working long hours are more likely to drink too much, according to a <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.g7772">study</a> that analyzed data from 61 studies involving 333,693 people in 14 countries.<p>They found that people who worked more than 48 hours a week were 13 percent more likely to engage in risky drinking than people working 35 to 40 hours a week.<p>And since almost 40 percent of Americans working full time work <Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:33:00 +0000Patti Neighmond41832 at http://wesa.fmWorking Longer Hours Can Mean Drinking MoreTraffic Stops Persuade People To Avoid Drinking And Drivinghttp://wesa.fm/post/traffic-stops-persuade-people-avoid-drinking-and-driving
It's a big concern during the holiday season — drunken drivers on the roads and highways. Every year, 10,000 people are killed in crashes in the United States involving a driver under the influence.Tue, 30 Dec 2014 08:58:00 +0000Patti Neighmond41076 at http://wesa.fmTraffic Stops Persuade People To Avoid Drinking And DrivingTo Stop Teen Drinking Parties, Fine The Parentshttp://wesa.fm/post/stop-teen-drinking-parties-fine-parents
When it comes to teenage drinking, the typical venue is a party — where some teens play drinking games and binge.Mon, 15 Dec 2014 08:24:00 +0000Patti Neighmond40340 at http://wesa.fmTo Stop Teen Drinking Parties, Fine The ParentsDoctors Are Slow To Adopt Changes In Breast Cancer Treatmenthttp://wesa.fm/post/doctors-are-slow-adopt-changes-breast-cancer-treatment
Cancer doctors want the best, most effective treatment for their patients. But it turns out many aren't paying attention to evidence that older women with early stage breast cancer may be enduring the pain, fatigue and cost of radiation treatment although it doesn't increase life expectancy.<p>Researchers from Duke University Medical Center analyzed the impact of a<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3691356/"> large randomized trial</a> published in 2004 that compared treatment options for women over the age of 70 with early-stage breast cancer.Mon, 08 Dec 2014 16:20:00 +0000Patti Neighmond39979 at http://wesa.fmDoctors Are Slow To Adopt Changes In Breast Cancer TreatmentCDC Considers Counseling Males Of All Ages On Circumcisionhttp://wesa.fm/post/cdc-considers-counseling-males-all-ages-circumcision
Draft federal recommendations don't usually raise eyebrows, but this one certainly will — that males of all ages, including teenage boys, should be counseled on the health benefits of circumcision.<p>In the past 15 years, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/prevention/research/malecircumcision/">studies</a> in Africa have found that circumcision lowers men's risk of being infected with HIV during heterosexual intercourse by 50 to 60 percent.Wed, 03 Dec 2014 08:24:00 +0000Patti Neighmond39699 at http://wesa.fmThe Power Of Suggestion Could Trigger Asthma — Or Treat Ithttp://wesa.fm/post/power-suggestion-could-trigger-asthma-or-treat-it
Lots of things can trigger an asthma attack, but one of the most common causes is odor — anything from the heavy scent of perfume to a household cleaner.<p>Sondra Justice is a 60-year-old retired postal worker from Philadelphia, and for her, lots of odors are dangerous: aerosol cans, certain charcoals and cleaners, "even mixing bleach in water irritates my throat," she says. If Justice smells any of these things, it can bring on an asthma attack. Her airways constrict, and breathing becomes shallow and difficult.Mon, 17 Nov 2014 08:41:00 +0000Patti Neighmond38933 at http://wesa.fmThe Power Of Suggestion Could Trigger Asthma — Or Treat ItFlu Season Brings Stronger Vaccines And Revised Advicehttp://wesa.fm/post/flu-season-brings-stronger-vaccines-and-revised-advice
The symptoms of the flu are familiar: fever, chills, cough, congestion, feeling very, very tired. If you're a healthy adult under 65, you'll most likely recover in a week or two.<p>But for those older than 65, things can get worse fast, says <a href="https://medicine.mc.vanderbilt.edu/node/474">Dr. H. Keipp Talbot</a>, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.<p>"It's not [just] a cold, it's not the chills, it's not a runny nose," she says.Thu, 06 Nov 2014 22:37:00 +0000Patti Neighmond38422 at http://wesa.fmFlu Season Brings Stronger Vaccines And Revised AdviceCorneal Implants Might Make Reading Glasses Obsoletehttp://wesa.fm/post/corneal-implants-might-make-reading-glasses-obsolete
For Lori Bandt, who works as a medical technician and an EMT in a suburb of Madison, Wis., the print on vials of medication has become so difficult to read that if she forgets her reading glasses she has to resort to having a younger EMT worker read the directions. The 45-year-old says: "I'm just stuck."<p>And she's hardly alone: 1 in 5 Americans needs reading glasses or bifocals because of <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001026.htm">presbyopia</a>. With age, the formerly pliable lens of the eye starts to harden.Mon, 27 Oct 2014 08:36:00 +0000Patti Neighmond37809 at http://wesa.fmCorneal Implants Might Make Reading Glasses ObsoleteWomen Can Freeze Their Eggs For The Future, But At A Costhttp://wesa.fm/post/women-can-freeze-their-eggs-future-cost
Until recently, freezing a woman's eggs was reserved mainly for young women facing infertility as a result of cancer treatments like chemotherapy.<p>But recent advances in technology have made freezing eggs easier and more successful, and likely have a lot to do with the recent decisions by Facebook and Apple to offer female employees a health benefit worth up to $20,000 to freeze their eggs.<p>The benefit is intended for women who don't need to freeze eggs for medical reasons, but rather as a choice.Thu, 16 Oct 2014 21:50:00 +0000Patti Neighmond37364 at http://wesa.fmWomen Can Freeze Their Eggs For The Future, But At A CostSocial Media, The New Weapon In The Battle To Lose Weighthttp://wesa.fm/post/social-media-new-weapon-battle-lose-weight
On a recent Sunday night, Liz Paul was tired. She'd worked in the morning, spent a full day with her family and she did not feel like going out for her daily jog.<p>"I tweeted out, 'Well, it's 9 p.m. on Sunday and I didn't work out,' " she says, "I really shouldn't go run in the dark should I?"<p>The response was immediate. The network of people Paul is relying on to help in her battle to lose weight chimed in with advice. Some tweeted back, "Yes, get out and run." Others offered alternatives like a video workout.Mon, 06 Oct 2014 07:31:00 +0000Patti Neighmond36841 at http://wesa.fmSocial Media, The New Weapon In The Battle To Lose WeightBest To Not Sweat The Small Stuff, Because It Could Kill Youhttp://wesa.fm/post/best-not-sweat-small-stuff-because-it-could-kill-you
Chronic stress is hazardous to health and can lead to early death from heart disease, cancer and of other health problems. But it turns out it doesn't matter whether the stress comes from major events in life or from minor problems.Mon, 22 Sep 2014 07:30:00 +0000Patti Neighmond36169 at http://wesa.fmBest To Not Sweat The Small Stuff, Because It Could Kill YouCheap Drinks And Risk-Taking Fuel College Drinking Culturehttp://wesa.fm/post/cheap-drinks-and-risk-taking-fuel-college-drinking-culture
There's no question that alcohol is a factor in the majority of sexual assaults on campus. And alcohol is abundant and very present at most colleges today.<p>In fact, federal health officials say <a href="http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/special-populations-co-occurring-disorders/college-drinking">more than 80 percent</a> of college students drink. And about half say they binge drink.Mon, 08 Sep 2014 07:22:00 +0000Patti Neighmond35481 at http://wesa.fmCheap Drinks And Risk-Taking Fuel College Drinking CultureA Coping Plan Can Help Fend Off Depression From Vision Losshttp://wesa.fm/post/coping-plan-can-help-fend-depression-vision-loss
When people lose their vision as they get older, they lose a lot of other things, too. They lose their ability to do the things they love.<p>"You can't read, you can't cook, and you can't socialize — and as a result, you may become demoralized, withdrawn and depressed," says <a href="http://www.jefferson.edu/university/jmc/departments/psychiatry/faculty/rovner.html">Dr. Barry Rovner</a>, a geriatric psychiatrist at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.<p>Rovner is not talking about typical eyesight deterioration as we age.Mon, 11 Aug 2014 07:28:00 +0000Patti Neighmond34069 at http://wesa.fmA Coping Plan Can Help Fend Off Depression From Vision LossWhat Makes Us Fat: Is It Eating Too Much Or Moving Too Little?http://wesa.fm/post/what-makes-us-fat-it-eating-too-much-or-moving-too-little
We're constantly hearing messages that we're eating too much and not moving around enough. Now researchers suggest that we're actually not eating more than we did 20 years ago, it's that we're much less active. And that includes not just middle-aged workers tied to their desks, but also young men and women who spend their days sitting in front of their laptops.<p>To try to figure out the impact of food versus activity, <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/uri-ladabaum">Dr.Mon, 04 Aug 2014 07:17:00 +0000Patti Neighmond33701 at http://wesa.fmWhat Makes Us Fat: Is It Eating Too Much Or Moving Too Little?People Who Feel They Have A Purpose In Life Live Longerhttp://wesa.fm/post/people-who-feel-they-have-purpose-life-live-longer
We know that happiness and social connection can have positive benefits on health.Mon, 28 Jul 2014 09:00:00 +0000Patti Neighmond33313 at http://wesa.fmPeople Who Feel They Have A Purpose In Life Live LongerHigh-Performing Charter Schools May Improve Students' Healthhttp://wesa.fm/post/high-performing-charter-schools-may-improve-students-health
Many people are intensely interested in how publicly funded charter schools affect children, and that includes not just their academic achievement but their health.<p>Researchers from UCLA and the Rand Corp. wanted to know whether attending a high-performing charter school reduced the rates of risky health behaviors among low-income minority teenagers.<p>They surveyed 521 ninth through 12th-grade students in Los Angeles who attended charter schools, and 409 students who attended local neighborhood schools.Mon, 21 Jul 2014 20:47:00 +0000Patti Neighmond32974 at http://wesa.fmHigh-Performing Charter Schools May Improve Students' HealthWant More Stress In Your Life? Try Parenting A Teenagerhttp://wesa.fm/post/want-more-stress-your-life-try-parenting-teenager
If anyone can handle the stress of parenting in the teen years, you'd think it would be a high school teacher.<p>That's how Amy Myers felt. She teaches high school English in a suburb of Boise, Idaho, where she says she has "pseudo parented" about 3,000 teenagers "who I have talked to, given advice to, guided, directed, even lectured about teenage issues," she says.<p>So Myers, 41, felt pretty prepared for her own children's teenage years. That is until her oldest son, Kamron, turned 15. Suddenly, their close relationship turned sour. "Everything I demanded, he fought back. Advice?Wed, 16 Jul 2014 07:28:00 +0000Patti Neighmond32693 at http://wesa.fmWant More Stress In Your Life? Try Parenting A TeenagerFor Many Americans, Stress Takes A Toll On Health And Familyhttp://wesa.fm/post/many-americans-stress-takes-toll-health-and-family
Stress is part of the human condition, unavoidable and even necessary to a degree. But too much stress can be toxic — even disabling.<p>And there's a lot of toxic stress out there.<p>A national poll done by NPR with our partners at the <a href="http://www.rwjf.org/">Robert Wood Johnson Foundation</a> and the <a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard School of Public Health</a> finds that more than 1 in every 4 Americans say they had a great deal of stress in the previous month.<p>And half of all adults say they experienced a major stressful event in the past year.Mon, 07 Jul 2014 07:18:00 +0000Patti Neighmond32154 at http://wesa.fmFor Many Americans, Stress Takes A Toll On Health And FamilyMore And More, Young Women Are Being Diagnosed With ADHDhttp://wesa.fm/post/more-and-more-young-women-are-being-diagnosed-adhd
As a child, Diany Levy was called lazy and unfocused. She remembers that teachers called home on a daily basis to tell her parents she was not paying attention in class. Now, at the age of 23, Diany has finally been diagnosed with the cause of her problems – ADHD.<p>Levy is not alone. The number of Americans taking medication to treat <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002518/">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a> is steadily rising.Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:14:00 +0000Patti Neighmond30587 at http://wesa.fmMore And More, Young Women Are Being Diagnosed With ADHDAnxious Parents Can Learn How To Reduce Anxiety In Their Kidshttp://wesa.fm/post/anxious-parents-can-learn-how-reduce-anxiety-their-kids
Children are increasingly anxious, stressed out and overly worried. Part of that has to do with increased pressures to excel in school, sports and extracurricular activities. But part of it has a lot to do with parents.<p>Like other mental and physical health problems, anxiety can be inherited.Mon, 26 May 2014 07:44:00 +0000Patti Neighmond29844 at http://wesa.fmAnxious Parents Can Learn How To Reduce Anxiety In Their KidsThat Prescription Might Not Have Been Tested For Your Ailmenthttp://wesa.fm/post/prescription-might-not-have-been-tested-your-ailment
It's actually quite common for doctors to write "off label" prescriptions, including using cancer drugs to treat migraine headaches or blood pressure medication for heart failure.<p>One <a href="http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=410250">study</a> found that 1 in 5 prescriptions written in doctor's offices has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat the condition it is being used for.Mon, 12 May 2014 07:24:00 +0000Patti Neighmond29056 at http://wesa.fmThat Prescription Might Not Have Been Tested For Your AilmentTest First Before Going For Those Testosterone Supplementshttp://wesa.fm/post/test-first-going-those-testosterone-supplements
If you're a man and you're concerned about low levels of testosterone, doctors say there are a key steps to take before you go with testosterone supplementation.<p>First off, have your <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003707.htm">testosterone level</a> measured. It's a simple blood test that should be done first thing in the morning, according to <a href="http://www.mountsinai.org/profiles/ronald-tamler">Dr.Mon, 28 Apr 2014 07:36:00 +0000Patti Neighmond28299 at http://wesa.fmTest First Before Going For Those Testosterone Supplements